Instrument packages having a number of sensor devices and energy emitting devices are well known tools, used for example in aircraft or missiles for detecting, tracking and/or homing onto a target. Such devices often include electro-optical sensors, radar and the like, accommodated in a seeker head, for example.
There are many known applications where different types of sensors are used with airborne platforms, and the sensors are commonly configured for simultaneous operation through a common aperture. In some such systems having a plurality of electro-optical sensors, some including laser radar or other optical elements, a system of mirrors or other optical components may be used for enabling each of the sensors to look through the common aperture at the same time, or at alternating periods via a movable mirror arrangement, for example. Applications are also known having separate dedicated sensors, including a radar system and an electro-optical sensor for example, in which a different part of the available aperture is assigned to each of the sensors. In yet other applications, each sensor may be configured and mounted to an aircraft, for example, as a separate and independent sensor system.
Such electro-optical sensors are often fitted with a transparent cover.